Process of ornamenting metal.



" yG.1.GL0TZHACH. vPROCESS oFoRNAMENTmG METAL.

APPLICATION FILED :um: 8.1914

GEORGE J'. GLOTZBACH, OF AUSTIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMER F NEW YORK,N. Y., A

, PROCESS OF ORNAMEN'IIN G METAL.

Specication of Letters Patent.

. Patented Nov. 7. :im tt.

Application led J une 8, 1914. Serial No. 843,752.

To all whom z''mag/ concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. GLOTZBAOH, a citizen of the United States,residing in ustin, in the county Of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Processes of Ornamenting Metal,of which the following is-a specification. The invention relates to theOrnamentation of surfaces, preferably metallic 'such as tin, to producethe appearance and effect of etching, and consists jin, the applicationto the said surface, so as to become in effect a permanent partl of thesurface, of a substance or material which is substantially transparentor capable Of becoming Or being made so. A suitable substance for thispurpose is gum arabic, which is applied over the surface and caused toadhere thereto by a suitable adhesive, such as varnish; but it will beunderstood that the invention includes any equivalent of said gum arabicsuitable for the purpose. The Varnish is preliminarily applied to theSurface in -any desired ornamental or other design, and it may be soapplied by a printing process. The gum arabic preferably in ratherfinely comminuted, powdered form is sprinkled or dusted onto suchprepared surface and will adhere thereto where the surface has beenpreviously treated with the said varnish. The materials so applied tOthe surface or plate are then allowed todry or harden, after which allsurplus non-adhering gum arabic is removed, allowing to remain only thatwhich forms the design previously printed in varnish or sizing. In thisincomplete state the said design has a rough, coarse, white, opaqueappearance. A coat of gloss varnish covering the entire surface of thesheet of metal is then applied, which causes the said Opaque appearanceto disappear and renders the gum arabic more or less transparent, givingto thewhole plate and the design thereon the identical appearance of ahigh grade etched effect. The'design formed by the said gum arabic Orequivalent material will appear to have been produced on the plate inintaglio, as if the surface `had been etched away by an acid, and theother parts of the plate not covered by the said gum will appear to bein relief, especially if, as is preferred, the design be originallyprinted upon a polished Or brightly lac- 5 quered metal plate.

In Order to make the invention more clearly understood I have indicatedin the l accompanying drawing a practical manner of carrying the sameinto practical effect.

In said drawings-Figure l is a diagram showing a portion of a metalsurface having a design lithographed thereon. Fig. 2 is a snnilar viewof the same design after the completlon of the same by the applicationof a substantially transparent gum, on certain parts of the design, andthe drying and varnishing Of the gum. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of aportion of the completed plate, greatly exaggerated as to thethicknesses shown.

Referringto the drawings, 1 indicates the metal plate and 2 the designlithographed thereon, the same being shown in the drawlngs by blacklines, but it will be understood' that the design can or may be shown byany desired colors applied to the plate by a lithographic process at theplaces to produce the effect desired.

3 indicates the spaces which are to be shown, in the finished design, asif etched into the plate, any appropriate portions of the plate beingselected for this purpose, preferably in spaces between the colorprinting. These parts ofthe plate will be covered b v an adhesivevarnish 7 (Fig. 3) which will take and hold the comminuted gum, whilethe residue of the latter may be removed or dusted Off from all theother parts of the plate. Ordinarily the portions selected to be shownas if etched will be parts Ol what may bc termed the background of thedesign, which parts may be advantageously covered, for instance, by goldor silver lacquer. 4 (Fig. 2) indicates the same spaces 3 having appliedthereto a transparent gum, which has been dried and covered with afinishing gloss varnish. The effect of this is to give to those portionsof the design to which the gum has been applied a substantiallytransparent and slightly grained appearance, which in contrast with thenormally smooth surface of the metal plate appears to be the result ofetching into and below the surface of the plate, the normal surface ofthe plate indicated at 5 appearing gto the eye to stand out above thesaid portions 4f which have been covered by the said gum; whereas infact the normal surface 5 of the plate is slightly below the parts thatappear to be etched into the plate, to the extent of roam can ootrran'r,CORPORATION Or new JERSEY.

' the slight thickness of the gum which has been applied. The last stepisto apply the said gloss varnish 6 over the entire plate, which has theedect of causing the gum to be substantially transparent and theapparent intaglio etching to look deeper and throws the other parts ofthe plate more into apparent relief.

The design may be entirely of the char-` acter above described, but verybeautiful effects may be produced by combining therewith designs, andlettering, of any desiredV character, in various artistically selectedcolors and tints; all of which may he applled to the plate at the outsetand before the first adhesive varnish is applied, by lithographieprinting. The general appearance of such a colored design interspersedwith the said apparently etched design, and interspersed with lineswhere the polished or brightly lacquered parts of the metal plateappear, closely approximates that of cloisonn enamel work, and yet theOrnamente tion is produced simply and with comparative cheapness ofmaterial and work. For example a floral design may be produced,interspersed with lettering, in various different colors; certain partsof the plate may be left with the polished tinned surface exposed,giving a silvered effect; other parts of the plate may be treated with abright yellow lacquer, giving a golden edect; and on the plate thusprepared the etched design rna'y be printed in adhesive varnish orequivalent substance on the said silver and golden surfaces. Thereafterthe gum arabic or its equivalent is applied as'already described.Finally, a gloss varnish of a transparent character is applied over all,giving to those parts of the plate covered by the 4gum arabic asubstantially transparent appearance to Showthe metal beneath, or theunderlying lacquer, and adding to the brilliancy of the whole design.

To give a practical example 'of carrying out the process: The firstprinting is in yellow, applied to all parts of the plate where theintended design requires that color; the second printing is in red; thethird printing is in lacquer; the fourth printing is in black; the fifthprinting is in light blue; the sixth printing is in dark blue; theseventh println is of the so-called etched design, in varnish or sizingconsisting of burnt 11nseed oil and gums; rthe next operation is' thatof ap l ing the pulverized um arabic which magi ybe sprinkled or dugstedon of applied with 'cotton or soft wool; after drying and hardening andthe removal of all surplus powder, allowing only the etched appearingdesign to remain, the gloss varnish, mainly of resin, is applied overall to brighten and protect thewhole design and to give to the gumarabic a substantially transparent and etched appearance.

hesive varnishv by .which the gum is attached u is or may becolorless,'and -is applied at points where the plate is to appear to beletched out and it is .not applied where* the plate is to appear to. bein relief. -Thebest result is attained ,by applying the gum :in

form* of powder, not so iineras flour but having a palpable grit. Thegum,.afterf application, will-dryin the atmospherabut the process may behastened `by putting the plate having the gum applied 'thereto through aheater of about 140? or' lObg F. i

The final coatingl of thin andlear gloss varnish both enhances theeffect and falso acts as a preservative. 1 i

The metal thus produced maybe used Ain the fiat, as for signs, or maygbecut and worked up into cans, boxes, .re'ceptacles' of various kinds, anda vgreat varietylbf articles, of a richly ornamented appearance.vIclaim: j 1. A process 4for the ornamentationV of metal, toproduce theeffect of etchin g,whichv consists 1n applying to thermetal plate'inpowdered condition a material capable ofV being rendered substantially'transparent and arranged according to the I'desired design, and applyingto the plate over the said material a varnis the effect of being etched.

2. A process or` the ornamentation of metal, to produce the effect ofetching, which to render the` said. matep rial substantially transparentandproducey consists in applying to the metal plate a substantiallytransparent gum in comminutcd form and arranged-according 'to thedesired design on those parts'of the plate which are to appear etchedout, leaving ex- 1 posed parts of the plate which are to appear inrelief, drying the gum land applying over the gum a gloss varnis gsubstantially as specilied.

3. A process design upon the plate with varnish or sizing, then applyingto the plate comminuted gum and causing 1t to adhere to the varnish orsizing, and then after the gum is' dry applying over the gum a glossvarnish; substantially as specified.

4. A metal, sign upon'a metal plate, in any desired coors; thenlithographing a design on the plate, with an adhesive; then ap lying gum1n comminuted form on the ad esive; and then, after the gum is dry,applying a varnish over the gum to renderit substantially transparent;substantially as specified.

5. A metal plate having a design thereon for the ornamentation of-metal, which conslsts'in printing the desired process for theornamentation of. w 1ch consists 1n lithographing a I,

inthe semblance of an etching, and composed of an adhesive andcomminuted gum held by the adhesve,' the gum being renderedsubstantially transparent by an eX- e ternally applied varnish;substantially as speeied.

6. A metal plate having n design thereon in the semblance rof enetching, and Colnposed of en adhesive and a powdered mate- 10 rialcapable of being rendered substantially transparent and held by theadhesive, the said material being rendered substantially tralisparent byan externally applied var nls In testimony whereof I afX my Signat-urein the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

` GEO. J. GLOTZBACH. Witnesses:

R. H. DRAKE, A. M. SIEGEL.

